The present invention relates to a biometric authentication device and more particularly to improvement in an authentication rate of the authentication device that authenticates authentication information of a vein pattern.
Recently, with the spread of information processing apparatuses such as personal computers (PC), there is a problem that the apparatus passes into malicious third party's hands due to robbery or loss, so that information stored in the personal computer leaks out. Further, a financial agency has a problem that a cash card is used illegally. Accordingly, it is desired to make individual authentication of a user of the cash card and the information processing apparatus such as personal computer.
There are many kinds of individual authentication techniques, although attention is particularly paid to the authentication technique using biometric information of a user as authentication information. The vein authentication technique utilizing, for example, a vein pattern can realize safer and handy biometric authentication devices. Among them, the authentication device using a vein pattern of a finger can be made smaller as compared with other vein authentication devices using the palm or the like and can be incorporated into various information apparatuses.
JP-A-2002-092616 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,010 discloses a finger vein authentication technique utilizing a vein pattern of a finger, particularly an individual authentication device utilizing those, in which an amount of light emitted from a light source is optimized on the basis of an imaged picture of finger and a vein pattern is subjected to emphasis processing in the arithmetic operation of picture for authentication.
Further, JP-A-2005-128936 discloses an example of a finger vein authentication device in which a finger is naturally guided to a specific position so that an imaged picture can be subjected to stable collation requiring no correction of positioning and rotation and the authentication accuracy can be improved to have no lack of vein pattern due to pressure on finger.